Stunning STAR TREK 2009 Concept Art by James Clyne

When the J.J. Abrams Star Trek
movie began pre-production in early 2007 production designer Scott
Chambliss started with two veteran concept illustrators: James Clyne
and Ryan Church.

Clyne shared his illustrations in his portfolio and spoke with
TrekMovie.com about the process.

James Clyne is a professional concept artist and art director who's
worked on blockbuster movies like Avatar
(2009), Star Trek Into Darkness
(2013) and Transformers
(2007).
Check out the rest of the pictures after the jump (click to enlarge)
and read why there were so many arguments about the design of the
Narada.

Clyne said, "It was a lot of fun. JJ was fantastic to work with and
very approachable. Throwing ideas was really collaborative…JJ wanted us
to explore new visuals because he wanted to create a whole new world
and reinvigorate Star Trek, which he did."

Narada
He "mostly had a blank page and that there was no detailed description
for the ship in the script beyond calling it the ‘Battleship Narada’
and that it was from the future and not a traditional looking Romulan
ship. JJ Abrams directed Clyne to create something ‘never seen before’
and said he wanted something ‘threatening looking’ which is what he got.

"According to Clyne, he envisioned that because the ship was traveling
through time (what he thought was back and forth through time), and
that it had ‘contracted some kind of virus, so the ship became
like an organism.’ As for the size of the ship, Clyne notes "there was
a lot of debate about that, it is massive, but not as big as V’ger.

"Clyne tells TrekMovie that some involved with the film, including some
designers at ILM, had thought that the ship moved like a squid with the
points moving forward, so on some sketches he had to note which end was
the rear and even draw arrows on it some times. Clyne says 'I thought
it was more menacing to have the spikes forward.'"

Kelvin Interiors
"The exterior of the USS Kelvin was designed by Clyne’s collaborator
Ryan Church (who also designed the Jellyfish and the USS Enterprise),
however Clyne was responsible for the interiors, including the bridge,
corridors, the turbolift and the shuttlebay. Regarding the look, Clyne
said Abrams and production designer Scott Chambliss wanted the Kelvin
(originally called ‘Iowa’) to be more like traditional Star Trek
designs, but also to be more ‘functional’ and have 'more of a
battleship aesthetic.' Clyne said he drew inspiration from the TOS
bridge, the bridge of the USS Reliant from Wrath of Khan and current
military ships and submarines. Clyne admits that even though he was
familiar and liked the Star Trek TV series and films, he didn’t
consider himself an expert. However, he says that Paramount actually
had a ‘Star Trek expert’ on staff who would 'pore over the designs to
keep us in check.'"

Vulcan Architecture and Vistas
"Clyne was also tasked with designing the vistas of planet Vulcan.
Clyne used Vasquez Rocks and SkyRose Chapel as the basis for his
designs, as both locations had already been selected to be used for the
Vulcan scenes. Clyne came up with the idea for the ‘hanging buildings’
which were used in the final film. Clyne tells TrekMovie that it was
originally planned for Vulcan to have a heavier atmosphere and red sky,
but as we know Vulcan ended up with a blue sky (although Bob Orci
contends Vulcan’s sky is ‘seasonal’)."

Official SynopsisThe future begins in J.J. Abrams' smash hit Star Trek. When Romulan Nero
comes from the future to take revenge on the Federation, rivals Kirk
and Spock must work together to stop him from destroying everything they
know. On a thrilling journey filled with incredible action, the U.S.S.
Enterprise will voyage through unimaginable danger in one of the biggest
and best reviewed movies of the year.

What is Film Sketchr?

This blog is about the often unseen world of concept design and storyboarding in science-fiction films and television. These artists work to bring the vision of the writer and director to life. My hope is you'll learn a little bit more about them. If you're an artist I hope you find inspiration from the talented artists featured.

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The images featured are the property of the respective artists and companies. They are shown to feature and demonstrate the artistic talents of the artists. I'm not affiliated in any way. No implication of copyright is implied in their use.